Meanings
comparative more pound-foolish · superlative most pound-foolish
- Being unwise in dealing with large amounts of money.
Accordingly, by Dr. Chen's method of calculation, the copayment experience would have to be deemed even more pound-foolish than we found it to be.
1976, MI Roemer with CE Hopkins, “Response to MK Chen”, in Medical Care
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveunwise in dealing with large sums
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From penny-wise and pound-foolish (“thrifty in the small and wasteful in the large”).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Polish rozrzutny w przypadku dużych sum
- rozrzutny w przypadku dużych sumbeing unwise in dealing with large amounts of money
Cite this entry
pound-foolish. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pound-foolish
“pound-foolish.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pound-foolish. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pound-foolish,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pound-foolish.
Source: pound-foolish on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.